Chapter 34

I have always preferred the madness of passions to the wisdom of indifference.

The reception hall was teeming with people.

The little girl in me looked around the room with dreamy eyes, feeling like I was in Cinderella's tale. On all sides were ladies in princess dresses and men dressed in high fashion suits. .Above the ballroom, a huge sparkling crystal chandelier shone brightly and, resonating against the transparent droplets, the sound of the orchestra was heard.

Violins, pianos, transverse flutes, clarinets, double basses played a bewitching melody like Pan's flute. .

When I opened my eyes again I was alone in the middle of these sharks, which looked like characters straight out of my childhood books a few seconds ago.

In the distance, Vladimir was already deep in conversation with businessmen and dazzling women.

For the first time, I saw this audience for what it really was: a room contaminated by mobsters and unscrupulous men.

And Vladimir was the worst.

A glass of champagne in hand, he was like a speaker in the middle of his assembly who seemed so passionate about what he said. Men laughed at his remarks while women approached him ever closer. He was in full in his element and, selfishly, he had preferred to let me drown in the unknown rather than introduce myself to his contacts.

If such was his will, I refused to put my pride aside and join them.

I left determined in the completely opposite direction but unfortunately my unwavering determination was short-lived when I realized that I knew absolutely no one.

I was alone in the world.

Nothing worse could happen to me, I complained to myself.

Swivel to the left I headed for the buffet and took a cup of champagne.

I will really need it.

I devoured it in a split second before taking a second which suffered the same fate.

I reached out my arm for the third before being cut off by my inner voice.

Am I allowed to take another?

That's not good Elizabeth!

I was ready to put my arm at my side but the bubbly bubbles seemed to be calling me, screaming at me to drink them, to save them from all those people.

Obviously I was an altruist at heart, so I emptied my third cup.

When I put my glass on the table, it lightly knocked the foot of another.

Completely filled.

But that wouldn't be reasonable.

Well okay just one, because I'm worth it.

At the end of my sixth glass I really decided to stop. The fact that there was no glass left was certainly a big argument but it was mainly thanks to my iron determination.

We believe in it Elisabeth, we believe in it.

From now on I was alone and without alcohol but I knew two things:

Number one, there's worse than being alone, being alone without alcohol.

Number two, I really wanted to liven up this stuck-up evening.